The Green Bay Packers are all but certain to begin the season without starting running back Josh Jacobs, which means the oft-injured MarShawn Lloyd, who is currently healthy (knock on wood), will finally get the chance to showcase his skills under the NFL spotlight.
Lloyd spoke to reporters about the opportunity on Monday, September 7, during which he sent a strong warning to those around the league who would underestimate him.
“A lot of players don’t know me. They’ll watch my college tape, if anything. They won’t even know anything about me, won’t even worry about me,” Lloyd said. “But they will eventually at some point this year.”
A third-round pick of Green Bay out of USC in 2024, Lloyd has appeared in just one game and amassed just six carries over the first two years of his career — almost entirely due to health concerns.
Kaleb Johnson May Challenge MarShawn Lloyd for Top Running Back Role in Packers’ Offense at Some Point
Lloyd is the presumptive starter in Jacobs’ absence as the latter attempts to clear up his off-field legal issues, thereby removing himself from the Commissioner’s Exempt List, after which he may face a suspension from the league.
But that does not mean Lloyd will have zero competition as the feature back for as long as Jacobs remains sidelined.
Lloyd is the clear-cut favorite to get the majority of the workload heading into Week 1. However, the Packers executed a trade for Kaleb Johnson, a third-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers last season, who should at least challenge Lloyd for touches once he gets up to speed in Green Bay’s offense.
Johnson struggled during his rookie campaign, falling out of favor with former Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin and failing to play his way into the good graces of new coach Mike McCarthy, the offensive-minded play-caller who most recently led the Packers to a Super Bowl back in 2010-11.
But Johnson is just 23 years old and has good size for the position standing at six-feet, one-inch tall and weighing 224 pounds. Running back Chris Brooks is also on the roster and currently in a backup role.
Green Bay Run Game Must Contend With Banged Up Offensive Line to Begin Campaign
One issue Llody, Johnson, Brooks or Jacobs — whoever happens to line up in the offensive backfield on any given play — is going to have to deal with is a below-average O-line that is navigating injuries to a couple of important pieces.
Right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele, formerly known as Zach Tom, is the best player in the unit by a wide margin and dealing with knee problems after an offseason surgery. He missed five games last year with injury issues. Left guard Aaron Banks is also dealing with knee problems and remains a question mark for the season opener against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
Speaking with reporters on Monday, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was non-committal about whether either lineman will play in Week 1.
Packers’ MarShawn Lloyd Issues Clear Warning Ahead of Vikings Game